Explosion-protector for safes



(No Model.)

W. DE LAMATER.

EXPLOSION PROTEOTORYPOR SAPES.

Patented Jan. 2, 1883.

In rental".

N4 PETERS. PholmLilhngrAphur. Wmhingium ac.

PATENT Frrcn.

WILLIAM DE LAMATER, BURLINGAME, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR ()F TWO-THIRDS TO ANDREW ERWIN, OF SAME PLACE,

TOPEKA, KANSAS.

AND WILLIAM G. EDWARDS, OF

EXPLOSION-PROTECTOR FOR SAFES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 269,920, dated January 2, 1883.

Application filed February 20,1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WM. DE LAMATER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlingame, in the county of Osage and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Explosion- Foil for Burglar-Proof Safes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a certain combination and arrangement of a plug fitted into the door or wall of a safe with a locking device, which efl'ectually prevents the plug from being withdrawn on the outside, but which is automatically unlocked whenever an explosion occurs within the safe, releasing the plug, which :5 is at once driven out of the door or wall, and

so provides a vent which instantly relieves the door and walls from the pressure generated by the explosion and prevents the safe from being blown open.

Figure 1 shows my invention complete in place and ready for operation. alongitudinal section of the plug or bolt, which constitutes the prime feature of theinvention.

Fig. 3 shows the funnel-mouthed locking and unlocking cylinder. Fig. 4 shows the boltlocking tongue with its unlocking-levers, and Fig. 5 shows the complementary unlockingcartridge andfiring coil or cage. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are constructed on a scale of one-half inch to the inch.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughout the several views.

The plug or bolt A is of iron or steel, with a double head, a and a, a socket, I), sunk from 5 its inner end, and an annular groove, 0, near the same end. When the plug is in place the outward shoulder of this groove 0 should be flush with the inner surface of the door or wall of the safe, while the plug itself should ex- 0 tend just far enough into the safe to afford ample material for strength between its end and the inner shoulder of the groove. The head a of the plug should be just flush with the outer surface of the door or wall of the safe, and may be so covered in painting as to effectually conceal its location. b

The locking-tongue B should be made of steel, and should be securely attached to the inner side of the door or wall of the safe by a Fig. 2 shows' pivot, .70, that will permit it, with its unlocking- 5o levers 1, to oscillate freely in a plane parallel with the surface to which it is attached. The oscillatingjoint should be at such a distance from the plug A as to permit the lockingtong ue to fit into and fill that portion of the groove 0 opposed to it. By this means the plug is securely locked into the door or wall of the sat'e,and can neither he driven in nor withdrawn.

The funnel-mouthed locking and unlocking 6o cylinder 0 is made of brass and closed at its small end. It may be uniform in diameter or gradually reduced in size from the termination ofitsfunnel portion. This funnel portion must be so constructed that when the cylinder is 6 fully inserted into the socket b of the plug the extreme funnel circumference will just coincide with the outer circumference of the inner end of the plug and pass out with the plug when it is withdrawn from the door or wall of the safe. When in position in the socket b the funnel of the cylinder must stand off from the end of the plug just far enough so that the short pin cjutting from the extreme funnel circumference may pass into the eye 6' of the pendent U-shaped stout wire f, Whose ends are firmly secured to thelocking-tongue B and one of the unlocking-levers (I. By this means the locking-tongue B is prevented from oscillating out of the groove 0, or is locked to its place, while it is unlocked as soon as the cylinder U is forced back into the socket b and the pin 6 withdrawn from the eye 6 of the pendent wiref.

The unlocking-cartridgesD are made of brass or of common cartridge-case material, and have their closed ends next the firing coils or cages E punctured to communicate a spark from the flashing-powder of the cages E to the powder of the cartridges. These cartridges are secured to the inner side of the door or wall of the safe by the hands g. Thefiring-coils E are of coarse brass wire closely coiled in cone shapeforconveniently closing one end. These cages are fully charged with powder, and are 5 secured to the inner surface of the door or wall of the safe by any convenient method, their open ends resting upon the closed ends of the Lil cartridges, while both the cartridges must be so located as to permit their open ends to rest upon the bracket; offsets or seats h at the free ends of the levers d, the one cartridge facing one side of one of thelever-seats and the other cartridge the opposite side of the other seat. Within each cartridge is compressed to about one-half its normal length afree spiral spring, 1', which rests between the charge of the cartridge and the bracket-seat ot the lever.

When a safe is furnished with myinvention constructed and arranged as now described and shown, any attempt to blow it open must be foiled, for the tiring of the powder or the explosion'ot' any substance designed to blow the safe open will force the cylinder 0 into the socket b and release the tongue B, which will at once be oscillated from the groove 0 by the force of thespiral springs Land the fired powder of the cages E and cartridges D will drive out the plug A and instantly provide a vent, which will afi'ord relief to the walls and bolts of the safe from the pressure generated by the explo' sion. The coils or cages E, with the explosive of the cartridges D, which are tired by the charge introduced within the safe, are not essential to the successful working of the invention, but may be used when desired as accessories. When the cages E and cartridges D are not char ed with powder the discharge of any explosive within the safe will, as before, force the cylinder 0 into the plug or boltA and unlock the tongue B, which will then be oscillated from its groove in the bolt by the simple elasticity of the coiled springs within the cartridges D, and the bolt will consequently be driven out by the force of the explosion and afi'ord relief to the walls of the safe.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut 1. For neutralizing the effect of discharging an explosive inside a batik or other money safe, adeviceconsisting of a hollow plug or bolt, A. locked in place by the oscillating tongue B and cylinder-(.1, with its pin cand pendent wire f, and unlocked by the levers (I, operated by the coiled springs within the cartridges D,c0nstructed, combined, and operating substantially as hereinbetbre described.

2. The plugor bolt A,constructed,arranged, and operating as hereinbefore described, in combination with the locking-tongue B, the locking and unlocking cylinder 0, the complementary unlocking-levers d, and spiral springs i together with the cartridges D and firingcages E, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described. A

WM. DE LAMATER. Vitnesses ANDREW ERwIN, S. H. NEWMAN. 

